1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an apparatus and method for producing individualized lipsticks and is sufficiently miniature to be operated within retail stores at point-of-sale.
2. The Related Art
Color is highly important to a consumer when considering purchase of a lipstick. Retail outlets often stock only a limited range of shades for any particular color family. Customers can become frustrated with the limited choice. Catalog shopping or purchase from the Internet are alternative solutions. Yet the published colors may in actuality be shades different from their pictorial. Lighting conditions also may adversely effect such election.
Not only retailers but also catalog sales outlets may be hesitant at maintaining extensive lipstick inventory. Fashion is highly volatile. Today""s demand may quickly be gone. It is difficult to stay ahead of the consumer. The trade is sensitive to building stock which may become excess. Better solutions are required which cater both to customer and vendor.
Several patents have been published describing systems capable of surmounting at least some of these problems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,692 (Rigg et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,262 (Krauss et al.), German Patent 41 10 299 (Erdtmann) and WO 98/30189 (Stewart) all disclose cosmetic formulation apparatuses and related methods which can individualize products for a customer, especially at the point of sale. U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,010 (Klein et al.) discloses an apparatus primarily directed at customizing hair compositions through a salescounter sized machine.
Lipsticks are much more difficult to formulate than cosmetic creams or lotions. Waxes and certain other indispensable ingredients are semi-solid at room temperature. Mixing presents a challenge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,018 (Collins et al.) is one of the earliest disclosures of an apparatus and process to manufacture lipstick in a retail environment. The process involves use of colored pellets in combination with an oil blend mixed under heat resulting in a homogeneous base composition. Molten base is then poured into a molding block. The system appears suitable for limited scale manufacture but not for production of single sticks.
Korean patent application 1997-69012 discloses a lipstick auto-manufacturing machine wherein molten components are injected into a movable molding member through a series of injection ports disposed lengthwise along the path of travel for the molding member. While the machine has been described as more efficient and less complicated than large conventional ones, the system is still not of a size appropriate for point-of-sale operation or for producing product in limited quantities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,351 (Swaab) describes a more retail friendly system for custom blending and fabricating lipstick to the specific demands of individual customers. A kit is provided including a graduated measuring sheet, pigments, bases, additives, a mixing tool, heating vessel, mold assembly and lipstick cases. Measured ingredients are blended together and deposited into a heating vessel containing a base formula. A microwave oven provides a heat source for melting the charge. A problem with this system is that it is neither automated nor highly accurate in reproducibility.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lipstick manufacturing apparatus and related method which can within several minutes produce a lipstick individualized to the color preferences of a customer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lipstick manufacturing apparatus and related method with equipment sized for operation in a retail establishment or for low volume wholesale production.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a lipstick manufacturing apparatus and related method which allows a customer to select a color shade which information can be transmitted to the apparatus for immediate production of a matching shade lipstick.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from consideration of the following summary and detailed description.
An apparatus is provided for molding an individualized lipstick, the apparatus including:
(i) a housing;
(ii) a plurality of different color blends each held in a separate pot fitted with a delivery conduit;
(iii) a heating probe within the housing;
(iv) a mold held within the heating probe for receiving selected amounts of the different color blends via the delivery conduits;
(v) a transport device allowing the probe with mold to travel within the housing; and
(vi) an ultrasonic wave generating device delivering ultrasonic waves to the mold for heating contents therein.
In a second aspect of the invention, a method is provided for molding an individualized lipstick particularly at point-of-sale, the method including the steps of:
(a) providing an apparatus which includes:
(i) a housing;
(ii) a plurality of different color blends each held in a separate pot fitted with a delivery conduit;
(iii) a heating probe within the housing;
(iv) a mold held within the heating probe;
(v) a transport device allowing the heating probe with mold to travel within the housing; and
(vi) an ultrasonic wave generating device delivering ultrasonic waves to the mold for heating contents therein;
(b) charging the mold with a solidified wax either before or after placing the mold within the probe;
(c) transporting the probe with mold to a dosing position;
(d) dosing the mold with at least one of the plurality of different color blends; and
(e) optionally delivering to the mold a liquid oil prior to dosing the at least one of the plurality of different color blends.
Components of the lipstick such as the waxes, oils and color blends are thoroughly and sufficiently mixed by the ultrasonic agitation. Separate mechanical mixing devices may be deployed but are unnecessary in the context of the preferred embodiment. Indeed, ultrasonic wave application avoids the need to deploy a mixing device separate from the heating system. Ultrasonic waves simultaneously heat and homogenize the lipstick ingredients. Samples can therefore be prepared rapidly.
The preferred embodiment will include a replaceable mold assembly within the mold. The assembly will include:
(i) an elongate plastic sheath with a receiving space therein and with an open and a closed end, the plastic forming the sheath being capable of transmitting an ultrasonic wave in a range from about 15 to 100 KHz, preferably in a range from about 20 to about 50 KHz; and
(ii) a wax base composition solid at room temperature charged to fill no more than about 80% by volume of the plastic sheath and preferably without red or brown pigment present.
Advantageously the plastic sheath is formed of a polyacetal which transmits ultrasonic waves, in an efficient manner yet under controlled conditions does not weld, distort or embrittle the assembly. Typically the sheath includes an upper elongate member encompassing a closed end and a lower member surrounding an open end of the sheath. These members are held together by an interference fit. The lower member includes a locking mechanism for engagement into a holder component of a typical retractable lipstick case. The locking mechanism includes an internal ring for gripping an inner surface of the lower member. It is important for best results that the horn assembly mold cavity has an inner surface closely matched in shape with an outer surface of the sheath.
A useful feature of the sheath is a tapered wall. Quick release from the receiving space is obtained through this taper. Otherwise a vacuum effect would act against demolding and cause scoring damage to the lipstick surface.
Correct color is achieved through dosing into the sheath of the mold assembly at least two different color blends, each of the blends being held in separate pots. The dosing occurs as the mold moves along a transport device stopping at different points below respective delivery conduits. Most preferred is that the color blend utilized in smallest amount be dosed first to the mold assembly. Those colors which are dosed in larger amounts may be dosed later.
The reason for the smallest color blend to be dosed first is so the critical color is at a lowest point within the receiving space of the sheath. Most of the ultrasonic energy is concentrated at that point and thereby ensures good mixing. Movement of the mold assembly to collect different color blends in contrast to bundling all delivery conduits into a single position is preferred because mold assembly openings are relatively small. Narrow openings ensure that in mixing, none of the blend escapes through splash.
Advantageously each sheath is provided with a hard base wax partially filling the receiving space. The partial fill may range from about 10 to about 80%, preferably from about 30 to about 60%, optimally about 40 to about 55% of volume of the sheath. Best practice is to initially dose a charge of liquid oil such as castor oil directly on top of the hard wax base. Thereafter various of the color blends are charged to the receiving space, in a sequence and amount corresponding to a chosen final lipstick color. Alternatively the liquid oil and color blends from the pots may be simultaneously dosed. The term xe2x80x9chard waxxe2x80x9d is meant to define a wax or wax mixture solid at room temperature. The term xe2x80x9cliquid oilxe2x80x9d is meant to define a hydrophobic ester or hydrocarbon liquid at room temperature.
A variety of transport devices are envisioned for the invention. Most preferred is a rail system which may either travel along a straight rail path or be on a carousel for circular movement within the housing. Alternative transport devices include turntables and robotic arms extendable through pivot joints throughout an internal area of the housing.
In the method, cooling of the ultrasonically mixed and heated lipstick blend is begun by moving the probe carrying the mold assembly along its rail into a cooling chamber. A solid state cooling device is applied to the mold assembly while still held within the probe and while the sheath and contents are initially hot. Natural convection allows the processed blend to rapidly cool but without distortion of the surface of shape of the lipstick.
At the point-of-sale, a customer selects a color. Choices may be taken from a set of color cards or some colored item the customer may wish to match. Dresses, handbags, hair, nail polish or the like may represent the color prototype. A spectrophotometer may be employed to evaluate the selected color. Information on the measured color such as L*a*b values are then transmitted to a memory device. Measured values are correlated with one of a set of pre-programmed color formulas. The matching formula is then generated by activating appropriate ones of the color blend pots and dispensing the blends to achieve the desired lipstick color. Alternative to measurement by spectrophotometer, the customer""s selection can be manually input to the memory device as a recognized color for translation into the matching lipstick.